The Falls Church Farmers Market

Every Saturday morning, all year, the City Hall parking lot at 300 Park Avenue turns into a market. The City of Falls Church runs it through its Recreation and Parks department, and it does not close for winter. The city's pages say it is open in rain, snow or shine.

More than 50 vendors sell there. In 2010 it placed first in the medium-size category of the American Farmland Trust's contest to name America's favorite farmers markets. This guide covers when to go, what you will find, how SNAP and Virginia Fresh Match work there, and what else happens on a market morning.

When it is open

The market runs in two seasons. The summer market goes from the first Saturday in May through the last Saturday in December. The winter market goes from the first Saturday in January through the last Saturday in April.

The hours change with the season. The city's market pages list 8 a.m. to noon from April through December and 9 a.m. to noon from January through March. Its main market page also carries another line giving 9 a.m. to noon for every Saturday, so the two do not quite agree. If you are going in April or in the first week of a new season, check the city's page or the market's social media that week before you set out early.

Getting there and parking

The market fills the City Hall parking lot itself, so that lot is not where you park on a Saturday morning. The city's rules for nonprofit tables say vehicle access to the lot closes before the market opens and tell guests to find parking and walk in. Shoppers should plan the same way and give themselves a few extra minutes.

What the vendors sell

The city posts its vendor list, and it is long. Between them, the stands sell:

• fruit and vegetables from several farms, some certified organic, some hydroponic greens and microgreens
• apples and cider in season
• beef, pork, lamb, chicken, sausage and eggs
• salmon and halibut
• milk, cheese and other dairy
• bread, bagels, pastries and flatbreads, including Turkish pastries
• honey, jams and jellies, pickles and fermented foods, hot sauces
• fresh pasta and sauces, handmade dumplings, frozen pho and spring rolls, hand pies
• flowers and plants
• coffee, tea and kombucha
• even baked dog biscuits

The list changes by season. Returning vendors get first priority when the city opens registration, so many of the same stands come back year after year. Registration for the summer market usually opens in February and for the winter market in September.

SNAP and Virginia Fresh Match

SNAP/EBT benefits are accepted at the market with participating vendors, and so is Virginia Fresh Match. The city's instructions are simple. Go to the City of Falls Church Community Center on a market Saturday and swipe your SNAP/EBT card there. You receive double-dollar coupons to spend at the market.

The two kinds of coupons buy different things. SNAP coupons cover fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, fish, bread, jellies, jams and other packaged food, and seeds and plants that grow food. Virginia Fresh Match coupons are narrower: fruit, vegetables, and seeds and plants that grow food. Neither covers alcohol, hot food or food prepared to eat on the spot, or anything that is not food.

The city publishes the list of vendors that take SNAP, those that also take Virginia Fresh Match, and those that take SNAP for select items only. The produce farms make up most of the Fresh Match list, which fits what those coupons buy.

More than shopping

Music. The market books musicians for two spots each Saturday, one on the east side and one on the west. Players must bring their own gear, since there is no electricity on site, and keep it family friendly. Each performer plays at most once a month, so the music changes from week to week.

Master Gardeners. During the regular season, the Fairfax County Master Gardeners set up near the flagpole every week and answer gardening questions in person.

Fit at the Farmers Market. Free fitness classes, led by the Recreation and Parks department and local studios, with no registration.

Chef Series. Once a month, a local chef shares recipes and tastings made with market ingredients.

Local nonprofits. One table each week goes to a Falls Church nonprofit for outreach and education only. No selling or fundraising is allowed at that table.

Tips for a first visit

Bring bags and small bills. Come early if you are after something specific, and dress for the weather in winter, since the market is outdoors and does not cancel for rain or snow. If you are shopping with SNAP, go to the Community Center first so you have coupons in hand before you reach the stands.

Hours, vendors and programs are set by the city and change by season, so the city's market page is the place to check before you go.

Using our listings

The market's vendors are not listed with us one by one; the city's vendor list is the place to find them. For shops that are open the rest of the week, our Bakeries, Coffee Shops and Shops categories list businesses in the Falls Church area with street addresses and phone numbers. Cherry Hill Park and the Cherry Hill Farmhouse, at 312 Park Avenue, are in our Parks and Outdoors and Museums and Galleries categories.